Cartridge for multicolor ball point pens



Feb. 12, 1952 p KQLLSMAN 2 ,585,016

CARTRIDGE FOR MULTICOLOR BALL POINT PENS Filed April 12, 1949 IN V EN TOR. 4

Jul. A'H-ORNE).

Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED.

CARTRID GE FOR MULTIGOIJOR POINT PENS Paul Kollsman, New York, N'- Y.

A'pplication Kpr'il'l'z, 1949, S erial ND; 86340 6 Claims.

1v ihi's invention relates to improvements tridges for ball-paint pens.

The invention provides a cartridge which is particularly suited for use in ballpoint .pens having a plurality of writing points at one end of the barrel. The improved cartr idge permits. of compact construction of the pen leading to an assembly of pointsat the tip-of the pen barrel which does not obscure the writing, thus overcoming a defect foundin most multi-color writing implements in which the writing points are fixed rather than individually projectable and retractable. While the improved cartridge is advantageous ifused in writing implements of the retractable point type, it-has particular application to those implementsin which the writing pointsere fixed, thus doing away with a more or less complicated projecting and retracting mechanism and result in a pen which has a larger ink capacity due tothe fact that practically the entire length of the pen barrel may be occupied by a longcar-tridgewhereas retractable construction requires a relatively 'short cartridge which can. be entirely withdraw-n in the interior of the pen-barrel to makeroom for-another one whichistobe usedatthe time.

The various objects, features and advantages of this invention will appear more fully from-the detailed description which follows accompanied bydrawings, showing forthe purpose of illustration preferred embodiments of the invention. -I--he invention also consists-in certain new and originalieatures of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the characteristic features-of the invention which are believed to be novel will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of it in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of acluster of three cartridges embodying the invention; the section being taken on line l-l of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a front view of the cluster of car'- tridge's shown in Figure 1 Figure-'3- is a sectional side View of the modifie form of cartridgeyand Figure-4 is a front view of the'cartridge shown inFigureB.

In the following description and in the claims various details will be identified by specific names for convenience. The names, however, are in- .in car- 2 tendedto be as. generic: in their' application as the: art will: permit.v Corresponding reference characters crespond to corresponding partsin the several figures "of: the drawings.

Inflthe drawings accompanying, and:- forming partsof; this, specification; certain specific 41150105- sure of the invention is" made for 'thepurp'ose of explanation or broader-aspects of? theiinvention, but. 'it' is". lllldBIStOTOdi that: the details may .be modified in' various. respects. without. departure from the broad'principlesaoif the? invention, and that: the. invention-may b'e' applied to other stnuctures than the-ones shown:

Each of-"the cartridges :shown in Figures 1 and 21 comprises. a. hollow substantially cylindrical shell H adapted to contain inki 'The forward end 'of the shell llz' is closed byan end wall' l2 fluid tightly :attache'd tOZ the-shell; duct t3 preferably integral with the emlwall I2 extends from the center of the end wall and terminates in a ball socket 14- within which alb'all I5" is mounted with freedom to rotate. The socket M is offset with respecttothe central axis I 6- of the shell; The oifset aispreferably made sufficiently large-to bring a portion of thecircumference of the socket-M at least, or beyond; the imaginary extension ofthe cylindrical shell H. A portion of the'loall l5"-is exposed, -the exposed portion lying-substantially at right angles to the axis l6of' the shell.

The cartridge is particularly" suitedfor assembly" with several other cartridgesinithe form of a cluster within'a pen barrel 'II indicatelfl" in dash dot linesat I1. Such a cluster may comprise three cartridges; containinginkof tnree' different colors; as shown in the drawings. Referring particularly to Figure .2 it evident, that the o'fi'set it of the ball sockets with respect to the axis of the respective cylindrical shell'permits'the sockets to lie in wallI-to-wall contact. with each othenjif "a 'iiu'm'ber o'fcyli'ndr'ical'. shells are as,- senrble'd as a cluster in wall-to-wall contact. Thus a compact assembly'isiormed withinwhich the wall sockets are about .acentral axisll'8 of the cluster, the axis [8 also. being the axis of the p'en barrel IT. In the illus'tratedi assembly a change of color maybe made simply by rota.- tion 'of'the pen barrel 'in the hand .o'fQthe Writer.

The compact. arrangement. of theball. sockets results 'in a construction. in. which the-cluster o1- socketsiisonly slightly .larger .than thel individual socket in a one color pen. This is a'fea'ture resulting in great convenience in writing since it permits a plurality of writing points to be fixedly mounted without the accompanying disadvantage of obscuring part or all of the writing as it is the case, for example, in a multi-color fountain pen having fixed nibs. Also the compactness of the assembly makes it necessary to provide for a projecting and retracting mechanism for the cartridges within the pen barrel resulting in greater simplicity, lower production cost and greater convenience in writing since no manipulation of the retracting. mechanism is required to obtain a change in" color.

In the form of cartridge shown in Figure 1 the duct l3 extends from the center of the end wall I 2. It is of course possible to provide for an eccentric arrangement as shown in Figures 3 and 4 in which the end wall I2 is combined with a duct [3 as an eccentric assembly. In the form of cartridge shown in Figure 3 the bend in the duct I 3' is naturally less for an oifsetb of the socket M with respect to the axis I6 of the shell equal to the offset a in Figure 1. In fact, a duct l3 may be made perfectly straight if its lower edge is extended in line with the lower edge of the shell H. An additional offset can easily be provided for by forcing the cartridge into an appropriately shaped barrel in which both the cylindrical shell portion as well as the ball socket I4 are constrained in suitable seats.

It is quite apparent that cartridges embodying the invention lend themselves admirably to use in multi-color pens in which the individual ball points are projectable and retractable. Nevertheless, one of the main features in the present invention is the construction of a cartridge such that a compact convenient pen construction is achieved with fixedly mounted cartridges which, by reason of the elimination of the projecting and retracting mechanism, is a particularly advantageous form of writing implement.

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge for cluster assembly in multiple, particularly in multi-color ball point pens, comprisinga substantially cylindrical shell adapted to contain ink, a duct of smaller diameter than said shell extending from. one end of said shell; a ball socketand ball at the end of said duct, the ball being of smaller diameter than said duct, the exposed portion of the ball lying substantially at right angles with respect to the axis of the shell, the axis of the socket being substantially parallel with, but spaced from, the axis of the shell, the spacing being sufficiently large to bring a portion of the circumference of the socket beyond the imaginary extension'of the wall of the shell. I

2. A cartridge for cluster assembly in multiple, particularly in multi-color ball point pens, comprising a substantially cylindrical shell, adapted to contain ink, a duct of smaller diameter than said shell extending from one end of the said shell; a ball socket and ball at the end of said, duct, the ball being of smaller diameter than said duct, the exposed portion of the ball lying substantially at right angles with respect to the axis of the shell, the axis of the socket being offset with respect to the axis of the shell, the degree of ofiset being sufficiently large to result in a socket-to-socket contact of a cluster of three cartridges assembled in wall-to-wall contact of the shells of the cartridges; I

' 3. A cartridge for cluster, assembly in multiple, particularly inmulti-colbr ball point pens, comprising a substantially cylindrical shell adapted to contain ink; a separate end wall fluid tightly assembled with said shell; a duct eccentrical- 1y extending from said end wall, the end of the duct forming a ball socket; and a ball mounted in said socket with freedom to rotate therein, the exposed portion of the ball lying substantialtially at right angles to the axis of the shell, the ball socket being offset with regard to the axis of the shell by a distance suilicient to bring a portion of the circumference of the socket beyond the imaginary extension of the wall of the shell.

4. A cartridge for cluster assembly in multiple, particularly in multi-color ball point pens, comprising a substantially cylindrical shell; an end assemby fluid tighty connected to one end of said shell, said end assembly consisting of an end wall for said shell and a duct of smaller diameter than, and integral with, said end wall, the end of the duct forming a ball socket open at right angles with respect to the shell axis, the socket being offset with respect to the shell, the degree of ofiset being sufficiently large to bring a portion of the circumference of the socket at least to the imaginary extension of the cylindrical shell; and a ball mounted in said socket with freedom to rotate therein.

5. A cartridge for cluster assembly in multiple, particularly in multi-color ball point pens, comprising a substantially cylindrical shell; an end assemby fluid tighty connected to one end of said shell, said end assembly consisting of an end wall for said shell and a duct of smaller diameter than said shell extending from the center of said end wall and being integral therewith, the end of the duct forming a ball socket open at right angles with respect to the shell axis, the duct being bent to bring a peripherial portion of the ball socket end of the duct at least to the imaginary extension of the cylindrical shell; and a ball mounted in said socket with freedom to rotate therein.

6. A cartridge for cluster assembly in multiple, particularly in multi-color ball point pens, comprising a substantially cylindrical shell; an end assembly fluid tightly connected to one end of said shell, said end assembly consisting of an end wall of said shell and a duct of smaller diameter than said shell extending from said end wall oncenter and being integral with said end wall, the end of the duct forming a ball socket open at right angles with respect to the shell axis, the axis of the ball socket being substantially parallel with, but spaced from, the axis of said shell. the spacing being sufliciently large to bring the peripheral portion of the ball socket end of the duct at least to the imaginary extension of the cylindrical shell; and ball mounted in said socket with freedom to rotate therein.

PAUL KOLLSMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

